Album Review: Role Models – “Dance Moves”

Three albums in three years! If any band tells you some sob story about “oh, but it’s so hard to get a new album written nowadays” then do them a favour by grabbing them by the collar, pointing them towards Role Models and telling them to sort it out.

On a more serious note, Role Models have figured pretty highly in our end of year polls with both of their last two efforts, 2015’s The Go To Guy and 2016’s Forest Lawn, so Dance Moves has had the bar set pretty high for it. Aiming for more of an ’80s alt-rock vibe than its predecessors, it has a slightly darker sound to it, but that’s no bad thing – it’s the mark of a band evolving and building their sound up.

I Want More and Reach Me could be prime time Soul Asylum, while Evangeline may not be a cover of the Icicle Works song of the same name, but definitely brings back memories of that era, with a chugging guitar line and catchy minor chord melody. The stark piano-led Obituary Writer is another sign as to how this band always seem to be learning new tricks to throw into their music, likewise the new found political sensibility in the lyrics of Empire State.

At the other end of the chain, Manette Street (an ode to the Soho drinking dens so many of us used to frequent before Crossrail ruined the place) and Wizard Van could almost be from Rags’ old band The Loyalties, while Feel Like Bein’ Alone has an almost Britpop style feel to the song masking some deceptively dark lyrics. The closing Meteor even sounds like funked-up new wave with the guitars turned up – again, probably something you almost certainly weren’t expecting from this band, and proof that they’re doing anything but standing still.

Final Thoughts

Dance Moves is further proof that Role Models are continuing to grow as a band with every album they release, and the fact that they're doing this while keeping the quality standards high is a testament to the quality of this band. Rags has already been on record to say that another album is due in 2018 and it'll be interesting to see where they go next.

About The Author

Yorkshire born, Yorkshire bred, now living in exile in Hertfordshire. One time rock 'n' roll hellraiser now living a slightly quieter life but still trying to get out to see decent rock 'n' roll and listen to awesome new bands whenever the opportunity presents itself. Lives to take the rip, dies from retaliation...